Question

2003 Chrysler Town and Country won't start sometimes. Turns off while driving.

I have a 2003 Chrysler Town & Country. For the past two weeks now, there will be times that my engine will not start and twice where the engine has just turned off on my while I was driving. I took it to a mechanic who replaced my battery, but the problem still persists.

So I had my battery put back (I barely got I barely got it last July from Sam's Club, it's an Interstate battery, still good). The mechanic at first told me that they can't work on the problem if it doesn't stall on them, or not turn on while they are looking at it.

Then they said that the problem has to be the computer on my car because something about they have a way to hook up a machine that tells them what's wrong with my car, but that they would got blocked when trying to look at computer. I'm not sure if this is legit or not... help!

Before spending more money on it, take it down to your local auto parts store and ask for a free OBDII scan to see what codes come up. If you get codes, come back here and we can help you decipher possible cures to the problem. If your mechanic was correct and they could not read codes, it is possible that the ECU needs to be replaced, but don't assume anything till someone else tries to get a reading. In many cases the problem on these vans is a bad ground connection or a bad crankshaft position sensor. Check your negative ground cable that connects to the battery to make sure the connection to the ground point on the chassis or engine is clean good and tight. If the engine fails to start when the engine is hot but usually starts when cold, the CPS sensor is probably in need of replacement. It is relatively cheap and easy to replace.

Before spending more money on it, take it down to your local auto parts store and ask for a free OBDII scan to see what codes come up. If you get codes, come back here and we can help you decipher possible cures to the problem. If your mechanic was correct and they could not read codes, it is possible that the ECU needs to be replaced, but don't assume anything till someone else tries to get a reading. In many cases the problem on these vans is a bad ground connection or a bad crankshaft position sensor. Check your negative ground cable that connects to the battery to make sure the connection to the ground point on the chassis or engine is clean good and tight. If the engine fails to start when the engine is hot but usually starts when cold, the CPS sensor is probably in need of replacement. It is relatively cheap and easy to replace.

At first I thought that maybe it was when the car was hot, but the more it happened, the more random it was. Once, it was night, and I had to sit there and wait 1 hour at a gas station before it started again. Another time, at night, it didnt start, i ended up having to leave the car, and when I came back the next day during the day when its really hot (i live in texas by the way) it started fine. The both times that the car stopped while I was driving were right after I started the car and left, not even five minutes. Sometimes it doesnt start and starts up five minutes later. Its to the point where I dont like to go to the store or anything in fear of it not starting. It didnt start on me at the gas station after i pumped gas the other day too. Its just really random. But I will run it by an auto parts store to have them test it and let you know.